Abstract We have developed an alternative laser deposition technique for preparation of droplet-free thin films and fine particles. This separated pulsed laser deposition (SPLD) consists of an ablation chamber and a deposition chamber which are independently evacuated under different ambient gases. High quality ZnO films exhibiting both particle-free and uniform deposition were obtained such as at an ablation pressure of 5 mTorr (Ar) and a deposition pressure of 10 mTorr (O 2 ). It is shown that, when the bias voltage and magnetic field are simultaneously applied in the deposition chamber, the E × B drift motion of about 70 km/s over the substrates contributes to deposit the smooth and high quality films. XRD and optical transmittance for the deposited films were investigated to clarify the operating properties of the SPLD assisted by the electric field and magnetic field. This SPLD is a promising technique for preparation of films and nanostructured particles